Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-11
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

| 1t Is said that coming events cast their
shadows before There is something
connected with political events that
seems to indicate beforehand the results
of contest. 1t will be remembered that
a few weeks prior to the election of 1884
| there was feeling among the most
| ardent Republicans that there was dan
ger ahead. There was nothing in the
previous hiitory of the Republican party
| to Justify these fears. 1t had been vic
torious in every presidential contest since
1860; 1t had every reason to expect that
its administration Of the affairs of the
government would recommend it to the
continued confidence of the people: it
had for captain the acknowledged great
est leader Of men on earth: it was conf
dent in the justice of its cause. Not
withstanding all these things there was
in the minds of the most diligent work
ers IN the Republican party prior to the
election a lack of full confidence in the
result. There were very few well in
formed Republicans in the country, who,
while they hoped for victory, were en-
tirely taken by surprise when the returns
showed the election of Cleveland
They were not taken entirely by sur
prise, notwithstanding the election of
Mr.. Cleveland was conceded to have
been the result of an accident
Prior to the election of Governor
Click in this state, there was a feeling
that pervaded the very air, which told
of defeat all through the campaign.
Kansas was $4,000 Republican. and men
were not able to demonstrate any cause
for their fears, but the result of the
election showed that those fears were
well founded. There are. however.
some people who never have any mis-
givings of this sort. A class of people
who always knew the old COW would eat
the grind stone. These people look upon
the thinking people who are affected by
these forbodings of evil in the future as
moral towards. They think the very
people who felt beforehand the shadows
cash before those defeats were the very
men who defeated Mr. Blaine and MIR.
st. John, Notwithstanding these very
men had always worked for and voted
the Republican ticket
There is today a similar feeling in the
minds of Republicans in the west that
there Is something in connection with the
temperance movement that portends evil
to the Republican party. Especially is
this the case in the states of Kansas and
Iowa. Now, as in the two former cases.
there seems to be grounds for these
fears. The Republican majorities in
those two great states are gradually
growing less. And the large towns and
cities. where political changes are always
first observable. are either lowering Re-
publican majorities or becoming Demo
cratic. There is one of two things that
present indications point to as certain to
come in the future: either the RepubH-
can party will put itself in opposition to
extreme legislation for the purpose of
enforcing prohibition. or Kansas and
Iowa will be Democratic states.
This Is subject upon which men who
have the interests of the Republican party
at heart may consider with profit to
themselves and the party. The subject
should be looked at from a position that
recognizes the existence of the Republi-
can party as of paramount importance
to any single plank in Its platform.
He is the loyal sailor who looks on. for
breakers ahead. and il is the fool who
rides safely on the high sea and i'm
agines his ship can ride down the CONT
nents. DE-.